To enable the dental professional to place composite fillings, matrixes are used. A matrix is a device which wraps around the tooth and acts as a mold to contain composite resins before they are cured. Matrices are generally formed of plastic or stainless steel and are either circumferential or sectional. Sectional matrices fit only in one proximal area of the tooth while circumferential matrix bands fit around the entire circumference of the tooth. Matrixes are secured in place by the use of wedges and/or clamps. The prior art wedges are generally made of wood or plastic and are placed between the matrix and an adjacent tooth. Wedges are used to hold the matrix against the tooth being filled and to temporarily separate the tooth being filled and the adjacent tooth. The dental wedge also serves as a gingival margin seal to apply pressure and control bleeding.
Most of the prior art dental wedges have a standard triangular shape. However, due to the irregular shape of the interproximal spaces, most standard shaped wedges are not always able to hold the matrix band against the prepared tooth to create a tight seal. Moreover, the convex shape of the matrix band opposes the flat surface of the wedge which decreases the contact surface area of a standard wedge against a matrix band. Thereby, a standard dental wedge cannot always seal the matrix band completely at the bottom of the preparation; nor can it achieve a large surface contact with the matrix band to provide more lateral support to improve adaptation. Examples of dental wedges are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,425,228 and 8,206,151, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The dental wedge of the present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of present dental wedges.